A NORTH Wales swimming pool could be mothballed for months, if a council slashes its grant.

Children will not get swimming lessons, and pensioners could miss out on free Assembly-backed exercise sessions.

Clwyd Leisure is warning of the drastic cuts at Prestatyn's Nova Centre, because Denbighshire county council plans to reduce its grant by 7.5%, or £84,500.

It means the pool, used by 75,000 swimmers last year, will be shut to help pay for repairs to the centre's gym, and at Rhyl Suncentre.

The trust, which also runs North Wales Bowls Centre, claims the authority's lifelong learning scrutiny panel approved the grant cut, compared with only 1.5% for Bodelwyddan Castle and the Ectarc Centre in Llangollen.

Board members believe the cut was based on the trust's £227,000 profit, but chairman Glyn Williams said much of that was due to a large VAT rebate.

He said: "The panel was not made aware of the financial pressures we shall be facing in the coming year, including £16,500 more on pensions, £28,000 more on electricity and £32,500 because of the rise in the national minimum wage.

"We have a full repair lease and with the Suncentre 25 years' old this year we have a substantial amount of expenditure on it.

"We are also planning to spend £150,000 on the Starlight Suite and gym at the Nova," said Mr Williams..

He will be recommending the closure of the swimming-pool at the Nova for "a substantial period" if the cuts are approved by the council's cabinet.

"I know it will be a blow, but it is the most effective way of cutting expenditure," he added..

Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane said he hoped a solution could be found without the pool having to be closed.

"Any cutback in sports facilities for the young people of Prestatyn is to be regretted because it will have an effect on youth crime.

"We need more facilities, not less," he said.

A Denbighshire spokesperson said savings across all services were considered as part of the difficult 2005-6 budget round.

"Culture and leisure have been asked to find £90,000 of savings next year, and it is proposed part of this will be met by reducing grants to outside bodies, including Clwyd Leisure, which received the largest grant.

"The financial circumstances of all these bodies were taken into account in reaching a decision," she said..

"It would be regrettable if the trust chose to close the Nova swimming-pool for any length of time but how they deal with the grant reduction is a matter for them to decide in consultation with Denbighshire," she added..